3/2/2016 – Wednesday of the 3rd week in LENT – Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9; Matthew 5:17-19

      Moses is one of the main figures from the Old Testament.  He is a key figure in the Jewish faith.  He is a key figure in our Catholic faith.  Moses gives the people their laws and he tells them that they must be careful to observe these laws because they come from God.  Our reading from Deuteronomy today reminds us the importance that God and his law are to have in our daily lives. God’s law is central to the Gospel message today as well. Jesus states that came to complete the laws given to us by Moses and that these laws are to be obeyed. There were probably some in Ancient Israel who hoped that Jesus came to abolish these laws.  Jesus places importance in living in the spirit of the law and not just the mere letter of the law.  While this is very challenging to do, it is infinitely pleasing to God.

        If you think about it, we don’t hear people talking about God’s laws very much in today’s modern world, do we?  We hear a lot about secular justice, about what is the politically expedient or politically correct, about not wanting to offend anyone, about not limiting someone’s freedom to do what he wants to do in life.  We want to do what feels good or what is convenient.  But we don’t hear a lot about the content of God’s law, of what he is demanding that we do. 

         Recently, a member of our parish approached me, saying that we need to set the bar high in our parish – high for our children and youth and adults. We need to take responsibility for forming ourselves in the faith and in attending mass and celebrating the other sacraments of the faith.  We should not accept mediocrity or complacency.  We should live out our faith with passion and enthusiasm and love.  We as a Church want to reach out to members and to draw people into our community of faith, but we are also called to embrace God’s law and to proclaim it to the world as well.  God is a love and mercy.  In this year of mercy, we are emphasizing this in a special way.  But out of God’s love and mercy, he asks for our obedience.   God expects a certain standard of conduct from us, that is for sure.

        This Friday evening, we will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation and this upcoming Monday we will be having our Lenten reconciliation service here at our parish.  Our Church asks us to go at least once a year to the sacrament of reconciliation.  We are to examine our consciences in the light of God’s laws and commandments and to confess our sins before our God.  Let us take this obligation very seriously in the context of today’s readings.